QLD Equity Graduate Day 2023

Host(s)

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  Melanie Zanetti

  Melanie Zanetti, is an award winning actress who divides her time between Australia and the United States. Melanie voices the role of Chilli, in the internationally successful, Emmy, BAFTA and five time AACTA award winning animated series, Bluey. It is the number one children’s show in Australia and a giant hit globally, making every ‘best of’ list since it premiered and consistently being one of the most watched TV series on Disney+. Melanie began her career in theatre and has played many iconic roles such as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion at Queensland Theatre as well as Catherine in Wuthering Heights and many, many more since she graduated from USQ with a Bachelor of Theatre Arts (Acting) in 2007. Melanie’s most recent feature films include Head Count (2023) Raven’s Hollow (2022) Gabriel’s Rapture (2021) and Paramount’s feature Love and Monsters (2020) where she played the dual roles as the touching and humorous voice of the robot Mav1s and on camera survivor Kala, opposite Dylan O’Brien. Her television credits include NBC’s Young Rock, Foxtel / Showtime series The End, The Bureau Of Magical Things for Nickelodeon and Netflix and HBO’s feature film The Leisure Class (produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck). In 2021 Melanie was asked to read the audible version of ‘The Birds and the Bees’ a story created by the United Nations Development Program to facilitate children having ‘the talk’ with their parents about climate change. The book was shortlisted for a Cannes Lions Award.
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  Asabi Goodman

  Asabi Goodman is an American-born Australian (Queensland) performer. Her experience extends from performing in a multitude of genres including classical, pop, jazz, blues, RnB, and musical theatre both here and in the US. Most recently, she was seen portraying ‘Matron Mamma Morton’ in the Australian touring production of CHICAGO (2023/ 2024). Prior, she appeared in the Australian touring production of HAIRSPRAY! (2022/2023) as ‘Motormouth Maybelle,’ and reprised the role in the US Broadway touring production (2023). Asabi also appeared in the critically acclaimed Baz Luhrmann film, ELVIS (2022). Asabi has performed with several Queensland based acts including The Soul Men: Blues Brothers Tribute Show, The Australian Pink Show, and RESPECT: The Show, a cabaret dedicated to the life of The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. No stranger to producing her own works, Asabi created the sold-out Brisbane shows, Two Divas: Jazz vs Opera (2022) with world-class Korean-Australian opera singer, Eva Kong, and Trois Femmes Puissantes or Three Powerful Women (2018), a jazz showcase featuring Brisbane singers, Grace Cockburn and Emily Louisa Rose. In 2014, Asabi received acting awards from the Queensland School of Film and Television for her lead role of ‘Nurse’ in the short film, WAITING IN VEIN, and the Norfolk Island Theatre Festival for her lead role of ‘Marlene’ in the one act play, SURPRISE. More recently, Asabi was nominated for a Queensland Matilda Award for her work in the play, THE REVOLUTIONISTS (2021) and a Victorian Green Room Award for HAIRSPRAY!. Up next, Asabi will be starring in the Australian premiere of the musical, MILF, with renowned drag personalities, Hannah Conda (RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under winner) and Jens Radda.Asabi was trained in the dramatic arts at the Australian Performing Arts Conservatory in Brisbane and is a proud member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, serving as the Queensland Equity President since 2020.
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  Veronica Neave

  Veronica has worked extensively as an Actor, Dramaturge, Writer, Director and Physical Performer throughout Australia over the last 35 years, performing in major roles for all state theatre companies including over 33 shows for Queensland Theatre Company alone. For ten years Veronica collaborated with Kate Champion’s company, Force Majeure, performing/devising. Veronica has directed/devised and written shows for NIDA, The Australian Theatre for Young People and the Queensland Theatre Company. Veronica co-produced and wrote the ABC documentary Pieces Of Me and is a published author with a book of the same title. For three years Veronica held the position of Artistic Director of the Vulcana Women’s Circus. In 2019 Veronica completed her Churchill Fellowship specializing in Shakespeare’s verse. Veronica is now a Producer at the Brisbane Powerhouse. She has been a member of MEAA since 1988 and is on ehte National Performers Committee.
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  Julian Curtis

  In 2025, Julian wrapped supporting roles in ‘Hershey' (opposite Finn Wittrock); indie sequel 'All My Friends Are Back in Brisbane'; and 'The Tacoma Exorcism' directed by Julius Avery. As a writer/director he is currently in post-production on ‘The Long Passeggiata’; an ambitious proof of concept detailing the 1960s Italian migrant experience; and has been commissioned by the Brisbane City Council to write his second full length play. His most prominent TV role was the lead villain in the limited series ‘Are You Afraid of the Dark: Ghost Island’ for Nickelodeon USA in 2022 (Emmy nominated for Outstanding Children’s Series). In 2026, Julian will appear across Australia in two plays; ‘Afterglow' for the New York based Midnight Theatricals and a new work for Playlab in Brisbane. Julian is a NIDA graduate.
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  Sophia Emberson-Bain

  Sophia joined MEAA in 2008, and served as a Section Delegate before going on to be Vice President of Queensland Equity. Sophia grew up in the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. She went to school in England before moving to Australia at the age of 12. In 2007, Sophia graduated from both the Actors Conservatory and the Jazz Music Institute in Brisbane where she completed an Advanced Diploma in Stage and Screen, and Jazz Improvisation respectively. She then went on to study a Bachelor of Laws degree at QUT. Sophia continues to balance her legal career with her acting.Sophia’s various high-profile film and television projects include Barrumbi Kids, which has been recognised as Children’s Production of the Year at the 2023 Screen Producers Awards; NBC's Joe vs Carole; Harrow; Darby and Joan; Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire; Aquaman and Foxtel's critically acclaimed The End. She has also worked on stage with La Boite Theatre in Closer and Prize Fighter, and with Queensland Theatre in School of The Arts. In 2020 & 2021 she produced the Northern Territory's first dedicated online news talkshow called The NT Recap.
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  Tracey Robertson

  Tracey Robertson is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Hoodlum, an Emmy® and BAFTA Award winning Entertainment Company. As CEO, Robertson leads strategy and market engagement with partners, networks and studios to produce scripted content globally.Most recently, Robertson produced the feature film CHRISTMAS ON THE FARM, now streaming on Stan and was Executive Producer on rom-com feature film A PERFECT PAIRING, now streaming on Netflix. Past projects include three seasons of FIVE BEDROOMS, an 8-part drama on Paramount Plus in Australia and Peacock in the US and TIDELANDS, Netflix's first original 8-part series for the territory. Robertson also produced three seasons of HARROW with ABC Australia and ABCSI. HARROW was ABCSI’s first scripted production outside of the US and is currently streaming on Hulu. Additionally, Hoodlum facilitated the second series of ABC Signature / Amazon series THE WILDS and produced ABC’s cutting edge series ALL MY FRIENDS ARE RACIST streaming on ABC TV + iview.Hoodlum has focused over the last two years on expanding its global slate across scripted and unscripted television and feature film with productions currently in development with partners including ABC Signature, Fox, Peacock, Stan, Netflix, CBS International and A&E amongst others.Robertson is a member of BAFTA, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). She was recognized as an outstanding alumnus and is an Adjunct Professor of Creative Industries at the Queensland University of Technology.
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  Courtney Stewart

  Courtney Stewart is an acclaimed director, dramaturg, actor and teaching artist with a deep passion for intercultural works and multicultural dramaturgies. She is the current Artistic Director and CEO of La Boite Theatre.A proud Queenslander, Courtney started her professional career as an actor before honing her talents as an artistic leader, diversity advocate and change maker for some of the country’s most prolific companies and organisations including Sydney Theatre Company (as Directing Associate and Richard Wherrett Fellow), Belvoir and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance (as Artistic Associate).Courtney was previously Chair of the Equity Diversity Committee, a delegate to the National Performers Committee, and a former board member for Contemporary Asian Australian Performance. She is currently a board member for Creative Australia.Courtney has worked on acclaimed productions such as Maxine Beneba Clarke’s The Hate Race, The Poison of Polygamy by Anchuli Felicia King Miss Peony, Top Coat, and Single Asian Female by Michelle Law.
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  Peter Rasmussen

  Peter Rasmussen is an Industry leading Casting Director and Acting Coach with over 25 years of industry expertise, Casting everything from commercials to major feature films.Peter prides himself on providing creative and innovative Casting to all types of productions -  from Feature Films to Commercials.  Some of his casting credits include AACTA nominated The Butterfly Tree and Celeste, as well as working on many television shows including Neighbours, Packed to the Rafters, Sea Patrol, H20 – Just add water, The Doctor Blake Mysteries and the Underbelly Movies Files. As an Acting Coach, Peter has studied and draws on various techniques from Lee Strasburg, Ivanna Chubbuck, Eric Morris, Uta Hagan, Sanford Meisner, Robert Cohen, Mark Travis, Practical Aesthetics and Howard Fine. His classes are highly sought after around Australia, and has taught at many major schools including the Queensland University of Technology – Fine Arts Program, Griffith Film School, Queensland Conservatorium’s Performing Arts Programme, The Howard Fine School and the Melbourne Acting Academy. Peter's teaching method centres around training the kind of actors that he loves to see in his audition room - bold, versatile and engaging.He is well respected for providing fantastic casts to productions and unleashing his students true potential. His extensive knowledge of the worlds best acting techniques allows him to personalise the best methods for each individual actor. Peter’s students frequently go on to international success in lead roles.

• Michelle Rae

  Michelle Rae commenced as Director of MEAA Equity in January 2021. Michelle has been MEAA’s Queensland director for 13 years during which time she has been intimately involved in MEAA’s key campaigns and negotiations across the Equity, Crew and Media sections of our union. Before joining MEAA, Michelle was an organiser and campaigner at the Australian Council of Trade Unions. When she joined MEAA she had found her home. Michelle is passionate about the Australian arts industry and has worked closely with Queensland performers and creatives throughout her time at MEAA.